1. Field of the Invention
The instant disclosure relates to an image processing device and an image processing method; in particular, to an image processing device and an image processing method than can generate a simulation image having a depth of field according to a depth image and a reference image.
2. Description of Related Art
As technology develops, the volume of the smart phone or the digital camera becomes smaller and smaller, which makes them portable so the user can take photos any time. Generally speaking, the aperture of the smart phone and the digital camera is smaller, so the smart phone and the digital camera can generate a clear photo no matter whether the captured scene is far or near; however, it also makes the smart phone and the digital camera unable to generate photographic images having depth of field to emphasize a certain object.
On the other hand, the digital single lens reflex camera (DSLR) has a bigger aperture, so it can blur the image of an element not within the focal area and make another specific element within the focal area clear. However, the digital single lens reflex camera having a bigger aperture has big volume, is costly and not as portable.
Therefore, in recent years, many image depth processing methods have been applied to the smart phone and the digital camera, so as to blur part of the photographic image taken by the smart phone and the digital camera, in order to emphasize a certain element in the photographic image. However, the physics principles of geographic optics are not considered in the traditional image depth processing method, so it is hard to estimate the blurring degree of the element within and not within the focal area, which makes the blurred photographic images look not natural or not continuous.